and the moon sets
warnings: war/gore/blood, death, pain, depression/misc mental illnesses, suicidal ideation, grief, abuse, manipulation, substance abuse, etc.
THE sun has long since set and yet the sky is bright with warm light. It’s a peaceful scene, comforting, like a campfire on a cold autumn night with the crackling of flames and heat washing over her. The one thing that takes away from that peace is the terrified screaming that echoes all around her. That and the overwhelming feeling of her own flesh cooking as she sits in the midst of the heat and flames.
If she had any sense, she would be on her feet and running for her life out of the castle that will soon collapse on top of her. Taking a deep, burning breath that tastes of smoke and flames, her eyes flutter closed.
It would be nice to rest a little while. Maybe this time I won’t have nightmares. Maybe this time…I can actually sleep.
A shudder goes through her frail body as she takes another breath, followed by a series of harsh coughs that rattle in a way that causes her body to recoil. Groaning, she slowly pushes herself up into a sitting position. The world dips around her.
I shouldn’t, though. I have to make sure I finish my mission. Then…then I can rest.
War ravages the land of Yamatochi and enemies are far more common than allies, even in Neoma’s own home. Unable to trust her own mind or those around her, she struggles to find the right path to go down. Ultimately, she wants to protect the person she loves most - her twin sister, Hoshiko - but what will she sacrifice to do so?
And the Moon Sets is a work in progress that follows Neoma Takeda as she navigates life as the leader of the Takeda Clan, though she hates being in that position. She struggles to figure out who she is, fighting against her own mind as well as those who wish to use her for their own purposes. With help from others, she may just be able to become her own person…
At the same time, she has to protect her sister and her Clan from the war that looms all around them, threatening to swallow them whole at any moment. Which will be more important - figuring out who she is or acting as a protector?
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Nikita Gill, from Fierce Fairytales Poems & Stories to Stir Your Soul; "Why Tinkerbell Quit Anger Management,"